 presents Walter Brennan and Don McNeil. From Hollywood the Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theatre presents Torkelson's Flying Circus starring Walter Brennan and now here is your host Don McNeil. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray, pray together as a family. And now to our transcribed drama Torkelson's Flying Circus starring Walter Brennan as AJ Torkelson. Oh good evening my name is Howard Peterson. I have an appointment with Mr. AJ Torkelson. Oh you're from the Internal Revenue people. Yes. Matter of fact I'm AJ Torkelson. Come on in Howie. How's that Mr. Torkelson? Just call me AJ everybody does. Come on in Howie. We're letting all the heat out. Thank you. So I owe Uncle Sam a little cash do I? Well more than a little I'm afraid. Actually Mr. Torkelson. AJ. Well actually AJ you're what we down at the office call a very good taxpayer but there's that little matter of the first humble skymaster. Well let's go into the library and talk about it over some hot Java. You look like it could stand something warm. Oh indeed I could. It's a pretty nippy night out. It's not good flying with it. Hope you didn't have to take the bus I could have sent a car for you. Oh that's perfectly all right. Sam this is quite a magnificent house you have here AJ. I'm glad you like it. You know if anybody's told me three four years ago I'd be living in a mansion like this. This is the library I think. I don't really spend too much time at home and let me see. And if that coffee pot by the fireplace. Which way do you spoke. Oh there it is. Howie why don't you drop your overcoat over the chair then I'll pour us a little Java. Thank you. Down at the department we were a little unsure whether you fell under capital gains or the gift tax. One lump or two. Oh two please. I take five myself. Cream. Thank you. Yeah. Sit down. Take a load off your feet my boy. Thank you. Now what's this about capital gains. Well Mr. Torkelson. Yeah please AJ. All right AJ. The gist of the matter is this. How did you come into possession of the property in question. The first humble skymaster you mean. That's right. Now did you earn the airplane or was it a gift. Well now Howie that's sort of a difficult question to answer. You see I really didn't earn it but then you couldn't really call it a gift either. Say you in a hurry. No not at all. Then I'd better tell you how I got it Howie. Kind of let you figure it out huh. All right. Let me see. It all started when I was what you might call a night of the open road a wandering diplomat without portfolio. A dweller in the great outdoors. In short Howie a bum. I was one of those unfortunates whose door had never felt the knock of opportunity. That is until two years ago at the start of the baseball season. You see I'd been sleeping at the Hollywood ballpark and they started playing night baseball leaving me somewhat at odds for a place to sleep. So using an old strategy I figured I'd hold up one of the all night theaters on Sunset Boulevard. I scouted around for a long cigarette butt and then I found myself a theater with a nice quiet feature. When the break came the people poured out for an intermission smoke and I just lit up and sort of sidled in with them looking kind of bored as if I'd seen one of the pictures and hadn't liked it much. Three minutes later I was inside. Well it was at the next intermission that I found it lying on the floor near my seat. There's a planned employees badge from the Humboldt Aircraft Company. It's kind of a pretty little thing all orange and red and blue with a big brass safety pin to hold it on. And I was just about to take it apart so that I might save the pin against some future need when I saw the lettering on the back of the badge. It said a reward will be given for the return of this badge. Present on mail to Humboldt Aircraft Company at Player Del Ray or to any of their branch offices. Next morning I called in person at the Player Del Ray plant. Yes well that's all very well and good Mr. Torkelson but we've not used that particular type of identification badge at our plants it's the end of World War two. Yes I'd appreciate it if you just call me AJ everybody does. Be that as it may we simply cannot give you a reward. Well the promise is on the back. But we don't have money appropriated for that purpose. Do you know the red tape that would be involved Mr. Torkelson? AJ. AJ as it were. But nonetheless it simply cannot be done. Mr. Higgins. Yes. May I have a word with you sir? Oh yes of course right there. Will you excuse us Mr. AJ? Sure. What is it Miss Smith? Not so loud. What what what? We want to amount to something in this organization don't we? What are you getting at? I can see it in print now. Tramps who's Humboldt Aircraft. Soos. Not so loud. Yes I forgot myself. But surely you don't think he'd sue that old? Stranger things have happened and if he does he's got a case. What can I do? I don't know why they passed the buck to the sales department anyway. Well maybe they think you should give him a nice shiny new aeroplane. After all the fine princess reward doesn't say money so why don't you give him an aeroplane? Are you out of your mind? I mean are you out of your mind? Now look at it this way. No no come over by the window here. Why not give him that? Give him that? That's the new Humboldt Skymaster. Only give it to him with a string attached. The stipulation that he has to move it off our field by midnight. Now listen it takes six people to start that thing and three to fly it. You couldn't afford enough gasoline to turn those engines over if you sold your house, your car, your wife and kids and he hasn't got anything to sell. Yes but the upper echelon people... They love it, they love it. Think of the publicity angle. You think the public relations office won't go for a thing like this? Humboldt aircraft rewards honest bum by making him king for a day. What? Honesty king? It wouldn't be cruel would it? Cruel? Giving him something to talk about the rest of his life? And think of how it'll sound around the plant. What do you mean? Well when they hear that old stuffy Higgins has... Miss Smith I've told you I deplore that absurd nickname. They won't be using it anymore when they hear about this. No? Now they'll noise it around. The clever gag Higgins pulled while your name will be heard all the way to the top and when they hear it they'll be smiling. Do you think so? Well I'm sure of it. Well say no more I'll do it and Miss Smith I promise you no matter how far up I go I won't have any other secretary. Wherever I go you'll go with me. Oh I'm Mr. Torkles I mean MJ. AJ? Yes AJ. I wonder if you'd mind stepping over here to the window for a minute. Ajay, Humboldt aircraft as a mark of gratitude for your honesty and sense of duty is going to present you with a rather special kind of reward. Oh that sounds very nice. Yes a beautiful new airplane. The Humboldt Skymaster. Oh I don't know Higgins you know that sounds very nice but couldn't I just have the money instead? I haven't flown for a long time. Haven't flown for a long time? Jenny's in spades. First World War you know. Oh yes of course. Did quite a bit then though. I was good till they started putting those new Liberty engines in them and they got a might too complicated. Complicated? You think they were complicated? Miss Smith I hope you're taking this down. But you know it might be nice to have a little runabout, run it out and make myself a couple of bucks. Oh this is a little more than a runabout. Now if you just direct your attention toward the window young lady. It started off as a kind of a rich feeling. I showed the transfer of title to the guards and then I walked around in the grounds looking up at my plane. That is about all I could do too just look. I got a mechanic to give me a boost and I did manage to climb up on top of one of the wheels. From there I could almost touch the wing. But not quite. Oh I was certainly impressed with the size and the beauty of it. All shiny and silver. It was a lullapalooza all right. But you know I guess I didn't really hit me how I'd been bamboozled till I got over to the other side of the field. Then just as I was about to go into the airport cafe and I turned and looked again and wondered how I could move all those tons of airplane. For you? Yeah I wonder if you'd give me just a cup of hot water. You know to warm the insides. Roll time are you broke? Oh no no I won't be broke again until midnight but just a little short already cash you might see. Hey look I'll stake you to a cup of coffee. Well that's mighty kind of you. Thanks. I don't suppose you'd give me the cup of hot water too. You want the hot water too? Don't do it Nelly. Oh hi Dave. Things any better? Worse if anything. It's real tough Dave. Well life is a thorn. Say why shouldn't I give this guy here some hot water if he wants it? Why? Yeah. Because if you do he'll add a little ketchup, cream, sugar, salt and pepper and everything else on the counter to make about the worst kind of soup you ever tasted. Would you've done that huh? Well it's really not so bad when you get used to it. Look Millie make it bacon and eggs for two instead huh? All right. Say that's certainly nice of you. Yeah he's a very sweet guy this one. How do you want your eggs? A sunny side up. Good enough. Hey and look if you're around drop in for lunch. I like to see about that you know everything. You sound like you've been on the bum yourself. Well I've seen some hard times and from the looks of things. I'm gonna be seeing them again real soon. Why in some sort of trouble? If there's anything I can do. No no afraid not. Not much anybody can do. That is unless you'd like to buy 16,000 pounds of lemons. Lemons? Mm-hmm. You ever hear of Donner air freight? No can't say I have. Donner air freight consists of let's see one C-47 a few employees who will soon be looking for work and and me. I'm Dave Donner. AJ Tawkelson. Nice to meet you AJ. What's this about the lemons? Well yeah I bought them to transport east. Today the CAB grounded my airplane. Now why they do a thing like that? Maybe you could talk to them. No ain't that easy. You see I'm 30 hours overdue for my thousand hours. I flew during the war. You flew during the war? Yeah spads and jennies in the de Havilland once. Oh that war. But I'm a little behind the times. See what is this thousand hour business? Yeah it's a very wise rule of the civil aeronautics board. When a plane has flown a thousand hours you must have it taken apart overhaul and put back together again to make sure that well that everything's in top shape. Oh I see. Well I can't fly my plane till it gets overhauled which I can't afford. Which means I can't move the lemons before they turn green again which means well I'm not only going broke but in debt. Well Dave my boy seems a bull stuck with the same kind of trouble. You mean both on the bum? That's about it I guess. No no I mean we both have airplanes we can't move only for. What's wrong? Something just occurred to me David my boy. The way out of the dilemma. The way out? Dave all you really need to move your lemon which is another airplane is that right? Well yeah. Well suppose that guy came along who owned an airplane like say Humboldt Skymaster. Humboldt Skymaster. Supposing pigs had wings I fly him out by pig. No no no no I'm serious could you fly a Skymaster? Well I suppose I could. Now if a fellow came along and offered you such an airplane would you accept it as worth say a partnership in your company? Sure. Say what are you getting at? And would you let him change the name of the company to suit himself? Well anything. My boy you will be good enough to read these papers. One's a transfer of title and I don't quite understand the others but if you read them I think we might take a talk a little business. Business? I think we'll call our new company Tawkelson's Flying Circus. Tawkelson's Flying Circus? Tawkelson's Flying Circus. Tawkelson's Flying Circus? They're painting it on the side now and there's a fuel truck and a starting crew and millions and millions of lemons. Lemons? They were loading them. Oh but this is unthinkable. Miss Smith you assured me. Don't blame me. After all I'm only a secretary. I don't make the decisions around here. You tricked me into this. That's what you did. Yes this is the epitome of chicanery Miss Smith and I'll not soon forget it. Tawkelson's Flying Circus. Where's my hat? Where are you going? Straight to the top if I must but first I'm going to bear my soul to the legal department. There must be a way out of this. Loading coming along all right Dave? Oh AJ we got more space than we know what to do with. Well look I'd send out for more citrus if I thought we could well we could be sure of a market. Well as a matter of fact Dave my boy I want to discuss that very thing with you. Now we'd stand to save a little on gas if we only went as far as say Minneapolis. We'd save a lot. Well look I was in Minneapolis St. Paul area a couple of weeks ago. Those poor people need citrus fruit. They're having a lot of coals there at this time of the year. What are you getting at AJ? Well I thought we just might kind of do those people a favor I mean as long as we got. A favor? Well you know how citrus juices are good for coals and the prices for things like that just seem to go clear out of reach at this time of the year back there. AJ I'm beginning to think you've got a head for business. Oh no I was just thinking I was thinking if we made a few more available it might lower the price a little and you know they're pretty good people. Hey it looks like we've got company. Oh uh Mr. Torkelson. Correction you've got company. Hi Higgy that's Higgins the fellow that gave me the plane. No kidding. Mr. Torkelson I think we must have a word with you. Higgy I'd like you to meet my partner here Dave. How are you? Partner? Oh good grief. Mr. Torkelson I'm afraid a terrible mistake has been made. A mistake? Gee Higgy I'm sorry to hear that. Yes yes you see I wasn't supposed to give you this aircraft. No in fact right after you left we discovered that there was an appropriation for rewards after all. Yes so you see it was all a silly mistake. Now now look here here's a little check which should cover your trouble nicely and if you just let me have the transfer of title for the plane. I'm really very sorry Higgy but I'm afraid it's too late. Too late? Then Higgy you wouldn't want to be an Indian giver would you? Indian giver? Yeah back in the old days Mr. Higgins the tribes of Indians used to give horses to each other and then steal them back at the first opportunity. You're not trying to steal this airplane back are you? Steal? Steal? Jay Albert Higgins? Oh heavens for me. Hey how could you suggest such a thing? I come by naturally AJ. Well let's see we think about finished loading so if you two gentlemen will excuse me I I'd better start attending the business. Nice meeting you Mr. Higgins. Be with you in a minute Dave. This is all a nightmare. Mr. Torkleson. AJ. Yes all right then AJ you simply must give this airplane back. Oh gee Higgy your boy. Oh I'll be ruined budding young career wife and six small children. Six? Well two. That is once in a while the wife and I take care of my sister's boy. Mr. Torkleson I appeal to your sense of fair play. This great big huge airplane. This this master of the skies as it were for a silly little bag. I wish I could help you Higgy you know if it was just me well that'd be one thing but now I've got a partner to think about. I wouldn't want to ruin him you know. Have you signed anything yet? No but I've given him my word. Well I meant. And then too Higgy there's something else. You see I'm one of those people who've never heard the knock of opportunity. Oh well that's all very well and good is it well but. Of course I never had a door for it to knock on either. Higgy I always thought secretly of course that if I ever did have something to get my teeth into I that I'd make a go of it. You know what I mean? Come on AJ gonna fire her up. Be right along. AJ you simply have to try to appreciate my position in all this. You see in the first place I how's that Higgy? I say you'll you'll have to appreciate my position in all this. I've already talked to the legal department. The the legal department that is and they're talking about giving my job to my secretary. If that happens to me in the legal department. How's that again Higgy? I say if that happens to me in the legal department. Well what'll happen to me when I talk to the vice president or or Humboldt himself tell me ruin. Just let me know. Maybe we can work captain out. Be good Higgy. Don't take any wooden badge. Overlight it. AJ! Things went pretty well. It's kind of a word you might say strong proud feeling flying through the air. I remember thinking it must be about the same feeling one ribbon troupe had when he was flying in the middle of a a circle of forkers that was just flying circus in the first world. Did I ever tell you Dave I used to fly spads and jennies. Yeah you told me AJ. I suppose once you learn you'll never forget. Like like swimming I mean. Well it's not much like a spad AJ you you want to try it. Oh no. Oh come on come on take the wheel. Go ahead. Well just for a while just to sped you a little. That's it that's right just hold on to the wheel. That's too far forward AJ. No no no too far back. Dave my boy there seems to be something wrong with the controls over on this side. Maybe you better take it. No less of the ship I suppose. No doubt it'll work itself out with practice huh. I hope so. Let's see not too far out now I think I'll call the tower and see if they'll clear us for a straight approach. Minneapolis Tower this is Torkelson's Flying Circus over. This is Minneapolis Tower did you say Torkelson's Flying Circus please identify over. I said Torkelson's Flying Circus Humboldt Skymaster 488 Flight 1 a commercial freight line with a cargo of lemons over. The cargo of lemons on the Humboldt Skymaster. You can start it was a little out of order too. Minneapolis we request landing instructions and clearance for a straight approach. We'll clear you this we gotta see. Call approaching final runway 21 wind southwest 17 altimeter setting 040 over. Roger and out. CHA just like shooting fish in a barrel. AJ I take my hat off to you. I suppose we were a little lucky. Well now I'm going to go into town pick up our profits and make hotel reservations for you. Oh I wouldn't do that Dave I mean about the hotel. Well why not we'll have to stay for a while to scout up another load. Yeah but as a matter of fact while you were unloading the lemons I took myself a walk down the railroad yards ran into an old friend fell a night of the road you might say and this fellow told me where I could get some wild rice for well next to nothing. Wild rice? About 26,000 pounds that he said. And I seem to remember that the people in and around New Orleans are awful for a little while rice and what would the cost of it being so high I thought maybe we could well we could do those fine people a favor by making a little more of it available to him. I mean what with the Mardi Gras coming up Dave New Orleans a fine town I'd sure like to stay here a couple of days but I happened to run into Waycar Willy on Front Street and he kind of steered me into a deal. You see their shrimp fleet had what you might call an overcatch. Those fishermen are nice people and right now they're what you might call shrimp rich and storage space poor. And since nearly everybody in the country likes New Orleans shrimp well I kind of thought that it went pretty much that way all over the country of course just about every place we put down we got calls from the Humboldt people they had their lawyers call us and later on vice presidents and finally old Alexander Humboldt himself but after a while he stopped seemed about every airline in the country was ordering skymasters from them on the strength of how well we'd been doing they couldn't build them fast enough in fact we had three on order for the last year well that sounds like you've done a lot of expanding AJ. We certainly have Howie. I got a staff of all friends fellow knights the open road doing my dispatching and acting as buyers got 19 planes and 51 pilots besides Dave and myself you know I used to fly spads and jennies back when yeah oh oh come on in Higgy. Dave call from Burbank AJ he says the weather's clearing. Well I guess it's back to work then. Oh Higgy this is Howie. Howie Higgy. Howdy Howie. Uh oh how do you do? Say didn't you work for Humboldt aircraft? Oh them. Higgy's head of our public relations department. Well boys I've got a flight to make dropping anytime Howie. No weather. I suppose I put my helmet in God's. But Mr or AJ I still don't know about the first plane how to tax you. Oh you took and hash it out. Higgy you'll write your check. Write AJ. Take good care of him Higgy. Nice folks those internal revenue people. This is Don McNeil again. You know we who appear on family theater usually refer to this part of the program as the commercial and just for once with your indulgence I'd like to treat it like a commercial. You know the kind you're used to hearing on your radio or seeing on your television screens. Now the advertising agencies have found that endorsements are effective selling devices especially endorsements by prominent people who count themselves among the satisfied users. Well family theater's produce has a corner on the satisfied users market and we can take our endorsements from any period of history. Noah, Isaias, Aaron, Moses, St. Peter and Paul all use the produce that we offer. You might say religiously and we're more than satisfied with the results. Christopher Columbus, William Penn, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, countless others in American history were all quite outspoken regarding the merits of the frequent use of our commodity and today it's in use in practically every home in the world. Now the product of course is prayer and it is a product. It's the product of our minds and our wills. It's simply the way we have of thanking God for the things that he's given us and asking him for the things we need. But family theater is not selling the product. Its benefits are free to everyone and this program is on the air just to remind you of the benefits of prayer and to encourage you when you pray to pray together as a family. The reason? Well there are two, both in slogan form. The family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood Family Theater has brought you transcribed Torkelson's Flying Circus starring Walter Brennan. Don McNeil was your host. Others in our cast were Gigi Pearson, Jay Novello, John Larch and Howard Culver. The script was written and directed for Family Theater by Robert Hugo Sullivan with music composed and conducted by Henry Mancini. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program by the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of state screen and radio who give so unselfishly their time and talent to appear on our family theater stage. To them and to you our humble thanks. This is Tony Lafranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to be with us next week when Family Theater will present. The retiring Mr. Hewitt starring James Gleason. Rosalyn Russell will be your hostess. Join us won't you? Family Theater has broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is Mutual, the radio network for all America.